Subassembly with a plug-in housing connector

ABSTRACT

A subassembly for installing in a housing ( 2 ) comprises a supporting plate ( 4 ) on which a plug-in connector ( 5 ) is mounted as a separate part. Said plug-in connector ( 5 ) extends through a connector opening in the housing. A base section ( 5   a ) of the plug-in connector ( 5 ) is introduced into a receptacle of the supporting plate ( 13 ), which allows for the movement play of the plug-in connector ( 5 ) in the plane of the supporting plate ( 4 ) that is required for installation.

This is a national stage of PCT application No. PCT/DE01/02372, filed onJun. 27, 2001. Priority is claimed on that application and on thefollowing application(s): Country: Germany, Application No.: 100 36138.2, Filed: Jul. 25, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a subassembly for installation in a housing, inparticular the transmission or engine housing, of a motor vehicle, forestablishing a flexible, fluid-(e.g., oil) tight connection for elementssuch as electrical leads, between the interior and exterior of thehousing. The subassembly includes a supporting plate and a plug-inconnector designed as a separate part and mounted on the supportingplate, the plug-in connector being intended for protruding through aconnector opening in the housing in the installed state.

2. Description of the Related Art

Previously, electronic controllers located in the passenger compartmentof a motor vehicle were used for engine and transmission controlpurposes. There is currently a trend toward integration of the controlelectronics and the associated sensor technology in the correspondingsubassembly (i.e. engine or transmission). The advantages of such fullyintegrated engine or transmission control are increased reliability andlower costs.

To lead electrical signals out of the transmission or engine housing tothe outside, oil-tight plug-in connectors are used. To ensure that theplug-in corrector can be mounted and sealed in a connector opening inthe housing, suitable measures must be taken to compensate forinstallation tolerances in order to make the connector flexible. Theplug-in connector in the installed state has to meet demandingrequirements in terms of vibration resistance and long-termleak-tightness under difficult ambient conditions (vibrations up toabout 33 g, temperature variation in the range from −40° to 140° C., anduse of ATF oil as the ambient medium).

A plug-in transmission connector on which the contact pins in the baseregion are mounted on a leadframe carried in the supporting plate isalready known. By suitable design of the leadframe and the provision oftiltable articulation of the connector base on the supporting body, theconnector can be flexibly aligned within a specific tolerance range. Thedifficulties of this solution are the relatively great space requirement(a certain minimum distance must be maintained between the supportingplate and the housing) and the risk of material fatigue occurring in theregion of the connections between the contact pins and the leadframe.

Another known possibility is to provide a rigid connection between theplug-in connector and the supporting body and to achieve the requiredtolerance compensation by a thick sealing O-ring, which is pushed ontothe plug-in connector. This solution is not suitable to compensate forlarge tolerances and, moreover, does not allow optimum mechanical reliefof the plug-in connector in the transitional region with respect to thesupporting plate.

European patent application EP 0 908 974 A2 discloses a plug-intransmission connector which is mounted on the supporting plate by meansof an intermediate element. The intermediate element has a sliding rail,in which the plug-in transmission connector is displaceable in a givendirection parallel to the supporting plate. However, the displaceabilityof the plug-in transmission connector does not allow tolerancecompensation, since the displacement takes place coaxially with respectto the axis of the connector opening.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a subassembly of thetype stated above, which makes it possible to make the plug-in connectorflexible with respect to the supporting plate, and to do so at low cost.In particular, the structural design provided for this purpose isintended to have a low space requirement.

The object on which the invention is based is achieved by providing asubassembly that includes a supporting plate and a separate plug-inconnector mounted on the supporting plate, such that the plug-inconnector protrudes through a connector opening in the housing, when theplug-in connector is in an installed state on the housing, and wherein alongitudinal axis of the plug-in connector is coaxial with an axis ofthe connector opening in the housing, and substantially perpendicular toa plane of the supporting plate; and a base section of the plug-inconnector is inserted in a receptacle of the supporting plate to enableflexible movement of the plug-in connector within the plane of thesupporting plate.

The provision of a receptacle in the supporting plate, in which a basesection of the plug-in connector is inserted with lateral play, achievesthe effect that the plug-in connector can be aligned with respect to theconnector opening entirely free from any loads during the installationof the subassembly in the housing. The gap width between an outercircumference of the base section of the plug-in connector and the innercircumference of the receptacle may in this case be dimensioned in sucha way that no bending stresses occur on the plug-in connector, even whenthere arc large installation tolerances.

Preferably provided as a further measure is a damping ring, which isarranged on the plug-in connector in the installed state between aresting surface on the base section of the plug-in connector and thehousing, and which is forced into place. The damping ring aligns theplug-in connector with the plug-in opening during installation of thesubassembly and fixes it in the installed position.

A preferred configuration of the subassembly according to the inventionis characterized in that, at the height of the supporting plate surfacefacing the connector opening, engagement sections of a complementaryform are provided on the receptacle and connector base. The engagementsections on the connector base and on the supporting plate form restingsurfaces for the damping ring. In addition, rotational securement of theplug-in connector in the supporting plate is realized by the engagementsections. Should rotational stressing of the plug-in connector occurduring the installation of the subassembly or during operation of thevehicle, the rotational securement ensures that the forces occurring areabsorbed with minimal twisting of the plug-in connector and therefore donot act on the electrical leads (for example flexible printed circuitboard).

In the case of a particularly low-cost embodiment of the invention, theplug-in connector is electrically contacted by means of a flexibleprinted circuit board mounted on the bottom of the plug-in connectorbase. The electrical printed circuit board may, in this case, bedesigned as an integral connecting element for the distribution ofelectrical signals in the entire transmission or engine.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an integralsection of the supporting plate is designed as a housing cover for anelectrical control device, and the flexible printed circuit boardextends on the underside of the supporting plate to the control deviceand electrically contacts the control electronics accommodated in thecontrol device.

Further advantageous refinements of the invention are disclosed anddescribed in the following.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained below on the basis of an exemplary embodimentwith reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional representation of the subassemblyaccording to the invention, which includes a supporting plate andplug-in connector mounted thereon and also further parts forinstallation in a transmission;

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional representation of the supporting plateand plug-in connector in the installed state;

FIG. 3 is an oblique sectional view, cut along the line III—III, of thearrangement represented in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional representation along the line IV—IV inFIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional representation along the line V—V inFIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a subassembly 1 according to theinvention for installation in a motor vehicle transmission. A subsectionof the transmission housing 2 with a connector opening 3 is seen in theupper part of FIG. 1. The subassembly 1 includes a plastic supportingplate 4 and a plug-in connector 5. In an integral section of the plasticsupporting plate 4, a hood-shaped cover 4 a for an electronictransmission control device is formed. The cover 4 a has a peripheralsealing groove 6, which is made in the surface of the plastic supportingplate 4 facing away from the transmission housing 2. A form seal 7 isinserted into the peripheral sealing groove 6.

An aluminum plate 8 forms the base plate of the transmission controldevice. The aluminum plate 8 serves as a heat sink of an electroniccircuit, which is implemented, for example, on a ceramic substrate 9mounted on the aluminum plate 8.

The electrical contact of the electronic circuit takes place by means ofa flexible printed circuit board 10. The flexible printed circuit board10 has a central clearance 10 a, through which the ceramic substrate 9protrudes in the assembled state. The flexible printed circuit board 10extends in the lateral direction to sensors and actuators, which arelocated outside the transmission control device and, if appropriate, maybe mounted in the plastic supporting plate 4 (see, for example,temperature sensor designated by reference numeral 12). The flexibleprinted circuit board 10 extends further to the plug-in connector 5.

The assembly of the unit comprising the transmission control device andthe plug-in connector 5 takes place as follows:

Firstly, the flexible printed circuit board 10 is laminated in anoil-tight manner onto the surface of the aluminum plate 8. After that,the ceramic substrate 9 with the electronic circuit is fastened on thealuminum plate 8 and electrically connected by bonding wires or othersuitable contacting elements to the flexible printed circuit board 10.

In a further working step, the temperature sensor 12 is inserted intothe plastic supporting plate 4 and the plug-in connector 5 is pushedfrom below (in the direction of the arrow P) into a receiving opening 4b of the plastic supporting plate 4, so that it is located in theposition represented in FIG. 1. The plug-in connector 5 has alongitudinal axis Z, which runs substantially perpendicularly inrelation to the plane XY of the supporting plate.

In a next step, the aluminum plate 8 is placed, with the electroniccircuit mounted on it, together with the flexible printed circuit 10,onto the plastic supporting plate 4. An inner space of the transmissioncontrol device defined by the aluminum plate 8 and the cover 4 a issealed against oil penetration by the form seal 7. The flexible printedcircuit board 10 is at the same time led through between the form seal 7and the aluminum plate 8.

The aluminum plate 8 may be continued in the lateral direction by anoptional flexible support element 13 adjoining flush with the aluminumplate 8. The flexible support element 13 serves for supporting, andprescribing a defined path of, the flexible printed circuit board 10outside the aluminum plate 8. The flexible support element 13 alsosecures the plug-in connector 5 against falling out in the directioncounter to the arrow P.

Following that, the temperature sensor 12 and the plug-in connector 5are electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit board 10.Abutting contact is provided, for example, by means of a laser weldingprocess. For this purpose, the flexible support element 13 has, at thecorresponding points, apertures 13 a, through which laser radiation canbe directed onto the underside of the flexible printed circuit board.

After the contacting step, the entire assembly is inserted into thetransmission as part of the installation of the transmission. Because ofthe construction of the subassembly according to the invention, as isexplained in still more detail below, it is possible to compensate forinstallation tolerances by displacement of the plug-in connector 5 inthe receiving opening 4 b of the plastic supporting plate. In theinstalled state, the plastic supporting plate 4 and the wall 2 of thetransmission housing in the region of the connector opening 3 runparallel to each other and the plug-in connector 5 protrudes through theconnector opening 3. The sealing between the plug-in connector 5 and theconnector opening 3 is achieved by two sealing rings 14 a, 14 b seatedon the connector body.

Furthermore, mounted on the plug-in connector 5, in the region above thesupporting plate 4, is a damping ring 18, which clamps the plug-inconnector 5 with respect to the transmission housing after installationin the transmission. The damping ring 18 has the effect of fixing andpositionally damping the plug-in connector 5 in the installed state.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional representation of the plug-in connector 5 inthe installed position. The plug-in connector 5, fabricated of plastic,includes a connector base 5 a and a connector head 5 b, attached to theconnector base. The connector head 5 b has, in the embodimentrepresented, a neck section 5.1 with a 90° bend and an adjoining plug-insection 5.2. The plug-in section 5.2 is formed by a cylindricalconnector housing 5.3, in the center of which a central stub 5.4protruding beyond the connector housing 5.3 is arranged, (see also FIG.3). The central stub 5.4 is provided with a tapering centering channel5.5, which interacts with a correspondingly arranged pin of a connectorsocket (not shown).

In an alternative embodiment, 5 may be configured on a single axis, i.e.without a 90° bend in the neck section 5.1.

In an alternative embodiment, the male plug-in section 5.2 may also beconfigured as a female socket, which interacts with an external maleplug-in part (not shown in the drawings).

Connector base 5 a and connector head 5 b are passed through byelectrical conductors 15. The electrical conductors are formed in theregion of the connector housing 5.3, as protruding contact pins 15.1.With their other ends 15.2, the electrical conductors 15 lie freely onthe bottom of the connector base 5 a and are contacted there byconductor tracks of the flexible printed circuit board 10.

The attachment of the connector base 5 a on the plastic supporting plate4 is explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

In the installed state, the entire assembly, comprising the flexiblesupport plate 13, the flexible printed circuit board 10, and thesubassembly according to the invention (plastic supporting plate 4 withplug-in connector 5) is located on a hydraulic control plate 16 of thetransmission. The hydraulic control plate 16 runs parallel to, and at asmall distance from, the wall 2 of the transmission housing.

The connector base 5 a is supported by a partially-circular annular foot5.6, which is provided with radial webs 5.6′ (see also FIG. 5), on thehydraulic control plate 16. The remaining region of the bottom of theconnector base is set back from the annular foot 5.6, so that in thisregion there is an intermediate space between the hydraulic controlplate 16 and the bottom of the connector base 5 a. The flexible supportelement 13, with the flexible printed circuit board 10 arranged on itare located in this intermediate space. The flexible printed circuitboard 10 is not fixed on the flexible support element 13, at least inthe vicinity of the contact points, with respect to the conductor ends15.2, but is freely movable with respect to the flexible supportelement. Mechanical fixation of the flexible printed circuit board 10takes place on the bottom of the conductor base 5 a as a result of theabutting contacting with the conductor ends 15.2 (pins 17, whichprotrude through bores in the flexible printed circuit board 10 areprovided for the tension relief of the contact points on the bottom ofthe connector) and at a location which is sufficiently distant from theconnector 5 to ensure free displaceability of the flexible printedcircuit board 10 in the region of the connector. In addition, a reserveof printed circuit board material can be provided in the form of acircuit board corrugation 10.1 for the purposes of tension relief.

The receiving opening 4 b of the supporting plate 4 is dimensioned insuch a way that there is a circumferentially continuous gap between therim 4.1 of the opening and an outer circumference of the connector base5 a (in FIG. 2, a lower region 5.9 and a section 5.7, lying above it, ofthis outer circumference are seen). The gap width may be approximatelybetween 0.5 mm and 2 mm, whereby a path of movement of 1 mm to 4 mm isrealized in all directions of the XY plane.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the outer circumference of the connector base5 a also has, in the upper subregion at the height of the section 5.7,circumferential depressions 5.8.

FIG. 4 shows a section through the connector base 5 a and the plasticsupporting plate 4 at the height of the circumferential section 5.7, andthe circumferential depressions 5.8 along the line IV—IV in FIG. 3.Distributed over the circumference, four circumferential depressions 5.8are provided. The circumferential segments remaining between thecircumferential depressions 5.8 are bordered by the circumferentialsections 5.7. Protruding into the circumferential depressions 5.8 areprojections 4.2, of a complementary design, of the plastic supportingplate 4, which are implemented on corresponding sections at the rim ofthe receiving opening 4 b (see also FIG. 3).

From FIGS. 2 and 3, in conjunction with FIG. 4, it is seen that thedamping ring 18 rests in certain regions on the surfaces of thecircumferential sections 5.7 and the surfaces of the projections 4.2 ofthe plastic supporting plate 4. Because of the contact pressure exertedby the damping ring 18 on both parts (connector base 5 a and plasticsupporting plate 4), a high mechanical positional stability of theplug-in connector 5 is achieved in the installed state.

The circumferential depressions 5.8 of the connector base 5 a also form,together with the projections 4.2 of the supporting plate 4, arotational securement. In order not to impair the free mobility of theplug-in connector 5 in the receiving opening 4 b of the supporting plate4, within the degree of tolerance during installation, the gap continueswith a substantially constant gap width over the entire circumferencebetween the sections 4.2 and 5.8 or 4.1 and 5.7, and in particular alsoin the region of the transitions between the aforesaid sections.

FIG. 5 shows a section through the subassembly according to theinvention at the height of the flexible printed circuit board 10 alongthe line V—V in FIG. 3. Of the plastic supporting plate 4, the openingrim 4.1 can be seen; in the region of the connector base 5 a, thesection passes through the partially-circular annular foot 5.6 andthrough radial webs 5.6′. The two outer radial webs 5.6′ are designedmerely in the form of short stubs. The flexible support element 13extends through the lateral opening of the part-circular annular foot5.6, under the connector base 5 a. As already described, the flexiblesupport element 13 is provided in the region of the conductor ends 15.2with a clearance 13 a, through which the underside of the flexibleprinted circuit board 10 extends. Contact points 19 are arranged betweenthe conductor ends 15.2 of the plug-in connector 5 and conductor tracks(not shown) of the flexible printed circuit board 10. They may beproduced, for example, by a laser welding step. Furthermore, the pins 17protrude through openings in the flexible printed circuit board 10.

From the foregoing exemplary embodiment, it is evident that theinvention allows movement play of the plug-in connector 5 in the XYplane defined by the supporting plate 4 on all sides before and duringthe installation of the subassembly 1. At the same time, extremely smallinstallation depths of approximately 1 cm can be realized between thesurface of the hydraulic control plate 16 and the inner side of thehousing wall 2, and nevertheless no bending stresses occur during theinstallation of the subassembly in the region of the coupling betweenthe plastic supporting plate 4 and the plug-in connector 5.

1. A subassembly installable in a housing for establishing a flexible,fluid-tight connection between an interior and an exterior of thehousing, the housing having a connector opening, said subassemblycomprising: a supporting plate; a separate plug-in connector mounted onsaid supporting plate such that said plug-in connector protrudes throughthe connector opening in the housing when said plug-in connector is inan installed state on the housing, wherein a longitudinal axis of saidplug-in connector is coaxial with an axis of the connector opening inthe housing, and substantially perpendicular to a plane of saidsupporting plate, and a base section of said plug-in connector isinserted in a receptacle of said supporting plate such that said plug-inconnector is flexibly movable in said plane of said supporting plate;and a damping ring, attached to said plug-in connector such that whensaid plug-in connector is in an installed state on the housing, saiddamping ring rests between a surface on said base section of saidplug-in connector and the housing.
 2. The subassembly according to claim1, wherein a gap of substantially constant width is defined between aninner circumference of said receptacle and an outer circumference ofsaid base section, as measured from respective mid-centers of saidcircumferences, when said base section is centered with respect to saidreceptacle.
 3. The subassembly according to claim 1, wherein saidreceptacle and said base section further comprise complementaryengagement sections thereon such that said engagement sections aredistributed over respective circumferences of said receptacle and saidbase section.
 4. The subassembly according to claim 1, furthercomprising a flexible printed circuit board attached to said basesection of said plug-in connector on a bottom thereof, wherein anelectrical contact for said plug-in connector is provided by saidflexible printed circuit board.
 5. The subassembly according to claim 2,wherein said gap has a width of from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.
 6. Thesubassembly according to claim 3, wherein surfaces of said engagementsections on said receptacle and on said base section that face theconnector opening provide resting surfaces for said damping ring.
 7. Thesubassembly according to claim 4, further comprising an electricalcontrol device, wherein an integral section of said supporting plateforms a housing cover for said electrical control device and saidflexible printed circuit board extends on an underside of saidsupporting plate to said electrical control device, and is in electricalcontact therewith.
 8. A subassembly installable in a housing forestablishing a flexible, fluid-tight connection between an interior andan exterior of the housing, the housing having a connector opening, saidsubassembly comprising: a supporting plate; a separate plug-in connectormounted on said supporting plate such that said plug-in connectorprotrudes through the connector opening in the housing when said plug-inconnector is in an installed state on the housing, wherein alongitudinal axis of said plug-in connector is coaxial with an axis ofthe connector opening in the housing, and substantially perpendicular toa plane of said supporting plate, and a base section of said plug-inconnector is inserted in a receptacle of said supporting plate such thatsaid plug-in connector is flexibly movable in said plane of saidsupporting plate; and a flexible printed circuit board attached to saidbase section of said plug-in connector on a bottom thereof, wherein anelectrical contact for said plug-in connector is provided by saidflexible printed circuit board.
 9. The subassembly according to claim 8,further comprising an electrical control device, wherein an integralsection of said supporting plate forms a housing cover for saidelectrical control device and said flexible printed circuit boardextends on an underside of said supporting plate to said electricalcontrol device, and is in electrical contact therewith.
 10. Thesubassembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing in which saidsubassembly is installable is one of a transmission of a motor vehicleand an engine housing of a motor vehicle.